"You are never safe from relegation until you have 40 points so we are not safe and we have professional pride. The Manchester United-Fulham result cheered me up because it gives us a chance to catch them. Finishing above them would be a hell of an achievement, so that is the incentive for us.

"They’re directly above us, that’s why I’ve picked them out, not because of what is happening David Moyes, who is a big pal of mine. He’s handling that situation very well. They happen to be the team directly in front of us.

"It would be quite a scalp for us. People say we have no incentive, but we have a professional incentive and I don’t like to hear it. It irritates me as manager of Newcastle."